The Story Behind: Joolz

Meet Dutch baby brand Joolz.

Tell us about Joolz.– Joolz is a fast-growing Dutch company from Amsterdam. We believe that happy parents raise happy children. That is why we offer young families building blocks to spark their lives with positivity. We call it ‘Positive Design’. It means, we build award-winning, ergonomic, comfortable and stylish pushchairs, car seats and (organic) accessories that contribute to a vibrant lifestyle. Within our philosophy, we look for innovative solutions that helps to create a sunny future. Our reusable packaging, the Joolz Birth Forest (where we plant one tree for each sold pushchair), our Dutch production facility and our new Amsterdam headquarters are the epitome of that. Housed in a sustainably renovated factory with greenhouses and other smart energy-neutral solutions, it is an inspiration to further grow our ‘Positive Design’. Founded in 2004, today Joolz is available in 29 countries around Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States.

When did it all start?– It all started on a bright and sunny day in 2004. Our founder Emile Kuenen was invited by a group of friends to celebrate the great weather by cruising the canals in the city centre of Amsterdam on a boat. All of a sudden they were talking about pushchairs, and the fact there wasn’t much to choose when it comes to functional and beautiful pushchairs. That night he made together with his friends a wish list for the ideal pushchair. They should be ergonomic, comfortable, safe, easy in use and have smart solutions for folding & storing. He started with the first designs, and after a few years of hard work, the first Joolz pushchair was ready to hit the streets by the end of 2007.

What does the inspiration come from?– At Joolz we strongly believe the world needs to move towards a healthy and more sustainable way of living, and that corporations and business have both the ability and responsibility to lead the way. Within our Positive Design philosophy we are inspired to look for innovative solutions that contribute to this transition. We want to inspire all young families across the world to enjoy a positive life. With complete, ergonomic and attractive products, excellent service and inspiring ideas for a healthy and happy life.
We get our inspiration from everywhere, on the street, like-minded brands, our retailers who we have a close contact with. But also our employees. A youngh fresh bunch of people. We also initiated the Positive Design award in collaboration with the TU Delft. We want to motivate students to design products that contribute to a positive and sustainable world.

Who is the typical customer of Joolz?– Parents and parents to be who live life to the fullest, appreciate the small things in life, and care for the future their child will be growing up in. They appreciate beautiful design, and a premium qualitative product.

What is the spring news.– We just launched our Best Day Ever in Sweden. The next level of our Joolz Day – the Joolz Day². Next to that we will launch a new colour in our car seat range in collaboration with Besafe, and we added a new collection to our Essentials line. Products made out of 100% organic cotton, giving parents & their baby’s the very best to match their car seat or pushchair.

Future plans?– Joolz is always innovating and trying to change the market – examples are our unique Tailor collection, personalised My- Joolz service, our re-usable packaging and the plant a tree initiative. We are working hard to continue bringing innovations to the market, think of new models, colours and also something to celebrate our 10 years anniversary later this year. So you can definitely expect more from us.

As a company you are extremely focussed on your carbon footprint, can you state three main areas where you assist with this?– At Joolz we strongly believe the world needs to move towards a healthy, sustainable way of living and that corporations and business have both the ability and responsibility to lead the way. Within our Positive Design philosophy we look for innovative solutions that contribute to this transition. When it comes to this, we have big ambitions and huge faith. The first steps we have taken in this direction have led to a second life for the packaging of our products, planting trees in Columbia and our new sustainable renovated office. Meanwhile we are working hard on other solutions that contribute to more sustainable and meaningful way of living.

Your new premises have inbuilt greenhouses – what are their main purpose?– They have a dual function. We wanted to add green to our office in order to 1) create a positive atmosphere for employees and guests to work & meet and 2) naturally control our indoor climate system. We wanted to bring nature into our industrial work environment. We sat together with the architects and came up with the idea for a row of greenhouses in the middle of the office. Not only would these eye-catching greenhouses be visible from all workspaces, but they would also be used as meeting places and relaxation areas. Now employees and guests are able to relax and enjoy nature all year round. They can have a meeting in one of the greenhouses or simply sit down and take in the beauty. We created a design in which the greenhouse can open and extend the natural climate into the office building. Thus, there is less temperature fluctuation. Furthermore our plants positively add energy to the employees and guests.

You plant a tree for every Joolz sold – can you tell us a little more about this?– We like to contribute to a sustainable world and my belief is that every little step is a meaningful one. By planting a tree for every registered Joolz baby we’re not only celebrating the Joolz babies, but we compensate the Joolz ecological footprint as well. By combining both; planting a tree is fun and meaningful at the same time. The Joolz Birth Forest is located near the Colombian rainforests, which are also called the ‘lungs of the world’ – the perfect place to help to reduce CO2 emissions and promote sustainable development strategies.